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Citizen Science and Its Role in Education for Sustainable Development

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Education and Approaches".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 14370

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Kerstin Kremer

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Guest Editor

Institute for Biology Education, Justus Liebig University, 35394 Giessen, Germany
Interests: knowledge, attitudes and practices for ESD in environment and health contexts; inquiry-based learning; nature of science and epistemological beliefs; informal learning

Dr. Maria Peter

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor

Department of Environmental Chemistry, Ernst-Abbe-Hochschule University of Applied Sciences, 07745 Jena, Germany
Interests: biodiversity research and conservation; socio-ecological challenges; community and citizen science; environmental and sustainability education; informal learning; science communication

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue focuses on the role that community and citizen science (CS) can play in education for sustainable development (ESD).

The United Nations formulated 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (https://sdgs.un.org/goals).

The UNESCO considers education to be one of the key instruments for achieving the SDGs (https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000247444). CS is a promising and increasingly popular format, not only as a research tool for gathering large amounts of data, but also as an educational format. CS projects allow the public to be actively involved in genuine scientific research and to directly experience science. Through their practical, hands-on, and participatory nature, CS projects allow their participants to gain new knowledge and skills. Further benefits of participating in CS projects can be positive changes in participants' values, attitudes, and behavior.

This Special Issue aims to bring together papers from all disciplines to illustrate the role that CS has in ESD. We are interested in papers that investigate CS in formal as well as informal education settings, focusing on children, youth, or adults. We welcome papers that explore CS and ESD from the perspectives of project participants, project scientists and staff, and other stakeholders. Individual case studies of CS projects in any field as well as studies across various CS projects on a local, regional or international scale are welcome.

Papers could address, for example:

Short-term educational (and other) outcomes as well as long-term impacts;
Personal/social/cultural factors that influence (i.e., promote or hinder) potential educational outcomes;
Design characteristics of CS projects and their effects on learning outcomes;
Methodology (new and innovative methods and tools);
Good practices and lessons learned, including null or negative outcomes.

We invite you to contribute to this Special Issue by submitting empirical research articles, theoretical and conceptual papers, or comprehensive reviews.

References:

UNESCO (2017) Education for Sustainable Development Goals. Learning Objectives. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Paris. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000247444.

Peter, M., Diekötter, T., Höffler, T., Kremer, K. (2021) Biodiversity citizen science: Outcomes for the participating citizens. People and Nature 3(2): 294–311. DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10193.

Prof. Dr. Kerstin Kremer
Dr. Maria Peter
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

citizen science
community science
education for sustainable development
public participation in scientific research
sustainable development goals
sustainability education
participant outcomes
behavior change

Published Papers (7 papers)

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19 pages, 317 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Can Participating in a Forest Community and Citizen Science Program Support Elementary School Students’ Understanding of Socio-Ecological Systems?

by Shulong Yan, Alexandra I. Race, Heidi L. Ballard, Erin Bird, Sol Henson, Evan F. Portier, Amanda Lindell, Maryam Ghadiri Khanaposhtani, Jadda M. Miller and Emma R. Schectman

Sustainability 2023, 15(24), 16832; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152416832 - 14 Dec 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 984

Abstract

In the face of the climate crisis, sustainability education must include a focus on understandings of socio-ecological systems (SES) and applying systems thinking (ST) skills. This study investigates a Community and Citizen Science (CCS) program designed for elementary school students to collect forest data to better understand their SES and gain insights into wildfire management in a California region recently ravaged by wildfires. We examine the development of fourth-grade students’ systems thinking skills and understandings of SES, seeing these as crucial components toward fostering agency with science to support climate resilience. We found that students were capable of recognizing the intricate impacts of wildfires on interconnected human and ecological systems and demonstrated varying levels of proficiency in systems thinking skills. This place-based CCS program cultivated knowledge and skills in young learners that may contribute to better socio-ecological resilience and proactive sustainability efforts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Citizen Science and Its Role in Education for Sustainable Development)

22 pages, 460 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of a Bee-Focused Citizen Science Training Process: Influence of Participants’ Profiles on Learning

by Celso Barbiéri, Sheina Koffler, Jailson Nunes Leocadio, Bruno Albertini, Tiago Maurício Francoy, Antonio Mauro Saraiva and Natalia P. Ghilardi-Lopes

Sustainability 2023, 15(18), 13545; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813545 - 11 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1095

Abstract

In citizen science, training and evaluation are important steps in improving the pedagogical effectiveness of projects. However, evaluating learning outcomes is complex and usually requires multidimensional analysis. In this work, we analyze the influence of the profile of citizen scientists (i.e., gender, age, level of education, educational background, prior experience in beekeeping, and level of contact with nature) on their learning, considering multiple dimensions (i.e., knowledge of the nature of science, self-efficacy, knowledge of scientific process and content, interests, values and priorities, and motivations). Citizen scientists participated in a training course that focused on meliponiculture and citizen science, and they performed a contributory citizen science protocol. The evaluation was based on pre- and post-course questionnaires, (reaching 886 respondents). Learning was observed in all dimensions and, depending on the dimension, profile variables, such as gender, educational level, educational background, and prior experience in meliponiculture were influential. Participants demonstrated high levels of nature connectedness, strong personal norms, pro-environmental behavior(al intention), and high levels of trust in science. The main motivations of the participants were to learn, assist in conservation, and contribute to the production of scientific knowledge about bees. Our findings offer insight into the subsequent steps and future training courses for the #cidadãoasf citizen science project, but they could also be beneficial to other initiatives, indicating the importance of the evaluation of volunteer profiles to guide improvements in a project’s quality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Citizen Science and Its Role in Education for Sustainable Development)

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15 pages, 1620 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Citizen Science Apps in a Higher Education Botany Course: Data Quality and Learning Effects

by Nadja Pernat, Anika Kristin Gathof, Johann Herrmann, Birgit Seitz and Sascha Buchholz

Sustainability 2023, 15(17), 12984; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151712984 - 29 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3801

Abstract

Although species identification apps are becoming increasingly popular in citizen science, they are hardly used in university courses on biodiversity literacy. In this study, we investigated whether the use of a plant identification app by students provides similar data quality to the use of scientific keys and whether it improves the process of knowledge acquisition. To this end, dry grassland plots were monitored in Berlin to record plant species diversity by two groups, Bachelor’s and Master’s students, with different experience in plant identification. Both groups were asked to survey the plots once in April and once in June, the first time with the app Pl@ntNet, and the second time with scientific keys commonly used in teaching. To evaluate their performance and the respective tools, the results were compared with those of experts from the same plots. The students identified, on average, only half of the plants per plot and misidentified or failed to identify a high proportion of species compared with the experts, regardless of the identification tool. In addition, the number of plants identified that did not occur at all in the region or in the considered habitat was alarmingly high. In view of the worldwide loss of species knowledge, it is becoming clear that apps can trigger the study of a species group, but do not solve the fundamental problem of neglecting biodiversity courses at universities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Citizen Science and Its Role in Education for Sustainable Development)

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16 pages, 289 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Learning in Citizen Science: The Effects of Different Participation Opportunities on Students’ Knowledge and Attitudes

by Josephine Berndt and Sandra Nitz

Sustainability 2023, 15(16), 12264; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151612264 - 11 Aug 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1142

Abstract

Citizen science (CS) projects are becoming increasingly popular in schools. They promise to expand knowledge, promote scientific literacy, as well as improve environmental attitudes and behavior. However, studies on the educational potential of CS projects show varying results. These inconsistent findings can be attributed to differences in the design of CS projects. It is assumed that participants who are involved in more phases of the scientific process show greater learning outcomes than participants who are involved in fewer phases. Various models about participation in CS have been developed but have not been thoroughly empirically tested. Therefore, the research question of this study is as follows: How do different participation opportunities influence the educational outcome of CS projects for students? To answer this question, a CS project was carried out with three experimental groups, whereby the participation opportunities were varied, and 199 students were included. The students’ knowledge, attitudes toward science, as well as their environmental attitudes and behavior were evaluated three times (before, shortly after, and 2–3 months after the intervention). The analyses show only minor or no statistically significant influences of the participation opportunities on participants. These results are consistent with studies that also expressed doubts about whether the level of participation determines the educational potential of CS projects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Citizen Science and Its Role in Education for Sustainable Development)

21 pages, 3462 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Citizen Science and The University of Queensland Seismograph Stations (UQSS)—A Study of Seismic T Waves in S-W Pacific Ocean

by Colin John Lynam and Asanka Karunaratne

Sustainability 2023, 15(14), 10885; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151410885 - 11 Jul 2023

Viewed by 1147

Abstract

Seismologists listen to Earth’s noise as it rips apart (faulting), exudes (volcanoes) and swallows (subducts) large volumes of rock. Your mobile phone is most likely detecting such noise, right now! This paper is about one such specific noise, the T wave. It summarises an early and successful piece of citizen science, performed within The University of Queensland Seismograph Stations (UQSS) observatory, in cooperation with colleagues at CSIRO. It was designed to encourage young STEM students from Brisbane high schools to engage in “real” research, back in 1995. Bear in mind, this is a time period when science is changing considerably from analog to digital media and operational recording methods. The citizen science students used a pre-prepared decadal collection (1980–1990) of T waves, derived from the Brisbane seismograph (BRS) observatory data catalogue. BRS has been operating since 1937 and is part of the global World-Wide Seismograph Station Network (WWSSN). Fortunately, seismology is a very collaborative field. There is a lot of data analysis involved in the science of recording earthquake signals, with auxiliary definitive catalogues, observers logbooks, housing of the recordings themselves (analog and digital) and the software mediums that change over time. It equally tests housekeeping proficiency, where a maze of record-keeping problems can be encountered in a longitudinal data collection study such as this. Having completed the project report, Earthquake generated T phases on BRS Seismograph (Brisbane, Q’ld) a predictor for Tasman Sea Tsunamis? their (analog) results sat in a cupboard until recently. The project was re-analysed in 2022 for a higher-degree student, discovering a timely climate change implication for the study. The original research question has now been amplified with a brief literature review. We observe that currently in Australia, university and government earth science observatories have diminished, and in their place, public seismic networks (PSN) have evolved, either in backyard sheds or school science labs. We now additionally propose here that the level of expertise required ideally fits the role of advancing citizen science, for a real science advantage. This is already a topical citizen disaster preparedness action area, and we propose that it has applications as a possible educational strategy for citizen engagement in today’s climate emergency. In addition, we are hopeful that other researchers in oceanography will read this paper and decide to explore the ocean’s temperature rise phenomenon through the eyes of seismological observers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Citizen Science and Its Role in Education for Sustainable Development)

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16 pages, 1155 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Redistributing Power in Community and Citizen Science: Effects on Youth Science Self-Efficacy and Interest

by Sarah Clement, Katie Spellman, Laura Oxtoby, Kelly Kealy, Karin Bodony, Elena Sparrow and Christopher Arp

Sustainability 2023, 15(11), 8876; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15118876 - 31 May 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1279

Abstract

Youth-focused community and citizen science (CCS) is increasingly used to promote science learning and to increase the accessibility of the tools of scientific research among historically marginalized and underserved communities. CCS projects are frequently categorized according to their level of public participation and their distribution of power between professional scientists and participants from collaborative and co-created projects to projects where participants have limited roles within the science process. In this study, we examined how two different CCS models, a contributory design and a co-created design, influenced science self-efficacy and science interest among youth CCS participants. We administered surveys and conducted post-program interviews with youth participation in two different CCS projects in Alaska, the Winterberry Project and Fresh Eyes on Ice, each with a contributory and a co-created model. We found that youth participating in co-created CCS projects reflected more often on their science self-efficacy than did youth in contributory projects. The CCS program model did not influence youths’ science interest, which grew after participating in both contributory and co-created projects. Our findings suggest that when youth have more power and agency to make decisions in the science process, as in co-created projects, they have greater confidence in their abilities to conduct science. Further, participating in CCS projects excites and engages youth in science learning, regardless of the CCS program design. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Citizen Science and Its Role in Education for Sustainable Development)

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14 pages, 838 KiB

Open AccessConcept Paper

The Role of Citizen Science in Promoting Ocean and Water Literacy in School Communities: The ProBleu Methodology

by Luigi Ceccaroni, Sasha M. Woods, Eglė Butkevičienė, Stephen Parkinson, James Sprinks, Pedro Costa, Stefan G. H. Simis, Gennadi Lessin, Sonia Liñán, Berta Companys, Elisabet Bonfill and Jaume Piera

Sustainability 2023, 15(14), 11410; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151411410 - 23 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1791

Abstract

Human activities continue to degrade oceanic, coastal and inland waters. The generational change in the role of society in actively looking after the health of water resources can be achieved through the expansion of ocean and water literacy in schools. The Network of European Blue Schools established under the EU4Ocean Coalition for Ocean Literacy has improved ocean and water literacy; however, this Network needs to grow and be supported. Here, we present ProBleu, a recently funded EU project that will expand and support the Network, partly through the use of citizen science. The core of the proposed methodology is facilitating school activities related to ocean and water literacy through funding calls to sustain and enrich current school activities, and kick-start and support new activities. The outcomes of the project are anticipated to have widespread and long-term impacts across society, and oceanic, coastal and inland water environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Citizen Science and Its Role in Education for Sustainable Development)

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